Microsoft Teams uses a lot of memory primarily because it is built on Electron, which runs multiple Chromium-based processes for different features like chat, video calls, and background syncing. 1. Each function operates like a separate browser tab, increasing RAM usage. 2. Video calls with effects like background blur further strain system resources. 3. Background syncing and notifications keep processes active even when minimized. 4. To reduce memory load, users can disable unnecessary features, use the web version, clear cache regularly, and avoid auto-starting the app. Understanding these reasons helps manage Teams more efficiently without frustration.

Microsoft Teams can be a memory hog, and if you've ever opened it and noticed your computer slowing down, you're not alone. The main reason is that Teams is built on Electron, a framework that allows developers to build cross-platform apps using web technologies. While convenient for development, Electron apps tend to use more memory than traditional native applications.

Electron Apps Are Memory-Intensive by Design

Electron essentially runs a full instance of Chromium (the engine behind Google Chrome) for each window or tab you open. In the case of Teams, even though it looks like one app, it's running multiple processes under the hood — for chat, video calls, background sync, and more. Each of these behaves like a separate browser tab, and just like Chrome, they all add up in terms of RAM usage.

You might notice this especially when:

• You have multiple apps open alongside Teams
• You're in long meetings with screen sharing or video enabled
• You leave Teams running in the background all day

This isn't unique to Teams — other Electron-based apps like Slack and Visual Studio Code do something similar.

Video Calls and Background Effects Use Extra Resources

If you're in a meeting with video turned on — especially with background blur or virtual backgrounds — Teams has to process your camera feed in real time. That uses not only memory but also CPU and GPU resources. Even after the call ends, some of those processes may still linger unless you fully restart the app.

Tips to reduce this load:

• Turn off camera during meetings when it's not needed
• Avoid using background effects unless absolutely necessary
• Close unnecessary tabs or panels inside Teams (like chat windows or apps you’re not using)

Also, if you're multitasking heavily — say, editing documents while in a call — you'll feel the performance hit more.

Background Syncing and Notifications Keep Processes Alive

Teams doesn’t just sit idle when you minimize it. It keeps syncing messages, notifications, calendars, and files in the background. This helps it stay responsive, but it also means it’s always using some level of system resources.

To cut back:

• Disable desktop notifications you don’t really need
• Sign out when you're done for the day instead of leaving it running
• Check Task Manager (Windows) or Activity Monitor (Mac) to see how much memory and CPU Teams is actually using

On Windows, you can also go into settings and limit startup behavior so Teams doesn’t launch automatically in the background.

How to Lighten the Load Without Quitting Teams

If you're stuck using Teams because it's required at work, there are still ways to keep it from eating up all your memory:

• Try the web version instead of the desktop app — it usually uses less memory since it runs in your browser and you can close the tab when done.
• Clear cache regularly — over time, cached data can pile up and make the app slower.
• Keep Teams updated — Microsoft does optimize performance in newer versions.
• If possible, use Teams in a lightweight browser profile, like Chrome with few extensions.

Basically, high memory usage comes down to how Teams is built and what it's doing in the background. It's not broken — it's just resource-heavy by nature. Once you understand why, it's easier to manage without getting too frustrated.

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